BUCHAREST, Romania – Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson banged a gavel in Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, as if calling for order following a chaotic tour of the giant palace built by late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Tyson, 50, was surrounded by dozens of journalists on Wednesday as he toured the palace, which houses the parliament. Despite being flanked by U.S. and Romanian security personnel, Tyson struggled to move at times because of the swarm.
Journalists were excluded when Tyson went into the Chamber of Deputies, where he was greeted by former tennis star Ilie Nastase, now a Romanian senator.
Tyson accepted an invitation to sit in the speaker’s chair, and grinned as he enthusiastically pounded the gavel.
He was visiting in Romania to promote an energy drink.
